Sakaja Demolishes Woodley Houses, President Moi’s MC Among The Victims
On the night of Monday, November 19, government excavators swooped upon the upscale Woodley Estate to demolish properties belonging to 43 homeowners following the lapse of a three-month notice.
Sammy Lui, a former broadcast journalist and famed presidential Master of Ceremonies (MC) during Moi’s rule, is among those who have met this fate.
How The Demolished woodley estate looks like now. pic.twitter.com/w7U5ehUog6
— The Kenyan Vigilante (@KenyanSays) November 19, 2024
Lui was the Director of State Functions, and many Kenyans recall his voice resonating throughout various stadiums throughout the country as he presided over state events.
Lui, who has lived on the estate for over 50 years, was among the primarily elderly people who met for a meeting on Thursday, November 14, in response to the eviction notice.
The conference, hosted by the Woodley Residents Welfare Society (WRWS), aimed to engage county officials and define a course of action that did not entail the demolition of buildings that had been on the estate for decades.
Lui informed journalists during the meeting that citizens had not been properly consulted before the county administration made its decision.
Families spend night in the cold after government demolished their houses in Woodley Estate, Nairobi pic.twitter.com/asshk0cbxM
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) November 19, 2024
“We have nothing against the project, but we should be engaged. Even this space you see here would not have been preserved if we were not vigilant,” he said.
“I am among the 43 tenants expected to vacate, yet I have never been part of any public participation process the county claims to have conducted. They approved the demolition of old houses marked as Lot One and Lot Two without consulting us.”
WRWS Secretary Peter Ngatia also expressed his displeasure, urging the county authorities to consult with residents and make agreements rather than rushing to demolish their homes.
“We have adequate open space. There is no need to demolish an estate where some tenants have lived for 50 to 70 years, serving this nation. People like Lui, who are elderly and in poor health, should be respected.”
Other senior citizens of Woodley, which was founded during the colonial period by British colonial mayor Sir Richard Woodley, expressed dissatisfaction with the county’s plans.
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However, the government eventually won, and their dwellings were razed after being compelled to be removed.
Lui is one of the first 19 residents whose homes were burned on Tuesday morning, just a few days after this meeting.
Woodley Estate Tenants Reject KSh 900,000 Compensation as County Blasted for Misleading Public and Violating Legal Process Over Controversial Redevelopment Scheme
— Cyprian, Is Nyakundi (@C_NyaKundiH) August 21, 2024
Residents of Woodley Estate in Nairobi are contesting a redevelopment plan that involves replacing their current… pic.twitter.com/LBhRM6SeXm
Attempts to reach him for comment were futile, but according to a live Citizen TV report, his home has been demolished.
The Nairobi County Government is carrying out this eviction as part of its urban renewal housing project in collaboration with Africa Reit Ltd.
Sakaja Demolishes Woodley Houses, President Moi’s MC Among The Victims
